Dressage - napping. Who has solved it ?

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Notimetoride

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My mare can work beautifully when she wants to. But when she doesn't want to shes horrible ! She naps in the warm up and when in the actual arena. She doesn't stop like a normal napper, she tanks off hell for leather trying to get back to the other horses. It's quite hair raising. My last test the judge was very diplomatic and seemed to see that there was little I could do but hang on tight ! That was out prelim test. We then did a novice afterwards by which time she'd finished having her strop and we came out with a respectable 64%. Totally different horse ! How on earth am i going to solve our napping problem ?
 
Have you tried warming up for longer/shorter amounts of time? Getting the warm up right cured our Connemara's DR napping problem (although, never solved the jumping napping!)
 
i've seen a few horses that are 'two test horses' in that the first one is never right, but they settle for the second one! Owners just end up doing two tests each time, in riding club one goes hc on an earlier class, and another switched to affiliated so she could compete in two tests
 
Have you thought about getting there early and riding her then putting her away and then warming her up for her test properly before you go in? Have heard this works for some!
 
Does she nap at any other time ie hacking solo? Mine was a nappy swine but once we had the hacking on our own sorted he was much better at comps :)
 
Hi. No problems hacking alone at all. It's just at shows that she does it. Tho sometimes at home if another horse is sharing the arena with us and then leaves, she will get upset. But it's mostly shows. I'm considering not warming up anymore and just go straight in the ring. We've done this a couple of times and done some of our best tests this way.
 
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